And obeblin smith



M. G. NIXON AND 0. SMITH. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I1. I917.

1 ,309,653. v Patented July 15, 1919.

ammtom UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILES G. NIXON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND OBERLIN SMITH, 0F BRIDGETON, NEW

' JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MILES G. NIXON and ()BERLIN SMrru, citizens of the United States, Mines G. NIXON residing at Chicago, in'the county of Cook and State of Illinois, said OBERLIN SMITH residing at Bridgeton, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the class of games pl: yed with a ball and ten-pins and includes certain apparatus and its construction.

In the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective and Fig. 2 a plan, the game is shown to consist essentially, in addition to the pins P P P and the ball B of a field F upon which the pins are set up, and a framework or support for the ball by means of a flexible member, as a cord, C, one end C of which is attached to a fixed point on the framework directly over the center of the field F, and the other end C of which is attached to the ball B, leaving the latter free to swing from the point C.

The field F is preferably made of some flexible sheet material like cloth, stout paper or oilcloth, so that it may be conveniently rolled up on the ribs R for packing and storage.

The ribs R not only keep the flexible field F flat but furnish a base or foundation for the feet of the support. The support is preferably a quadrapod but may have any convenient number of legs. 7

As shown, the legs L L L L are inserted into diagonal holes in the ribs R R. Their upper ends find lodgment in corresponding holes in the dome D, which supports the cord C and its ball B.

The field is preferably supplied with circular spots S S serving as markings for 10- eating the pins. These two sets of spots may be given any one of a great variety of geometrical patterns symmetrical with respect to one another but we prefer to locate these spots at equal distances between centers a little greater than the diameter of the ball plus the diameter of the head of the pins and on two arcs of the same radius struck from the center 0 on the center of the field directly beneath the point of support C. We also prefer to locate the spots of one are on diametrical lines that will pass between the spots of the other are so that a ball swung by a player between his own pins will strike a pin of his adversary.

This is clearly shown in plan drawing Fig. 2 where letters refer to the same parts as on Fig. 1. Here the ball let fall or swung from X will pass between the adjacent pins over the arc center 0 and strike the pin at X. Similarly the ball let fall at Y will strike the pin at Y and so on.

The field is preferably placed upon a dining or other large table as shown in Fig. 1 and the game is intended for two players, each standing back of, or behind his own pins. Playing in turn, a player tries by swinging the ball between two of his own pins to knock down a pin of his adversary across the field.

Said adversary attempts to catch the ball on its return and makes a similar effort, and so on until the pins have all fallen on one side, the other player making a score equal to the number of pins that he has left standing.

Having described our claim 1. A. game apparatus comprising a field having an arc-shaped series of spots at each end thereof, the spots of one series being arranged in staggered relation to those of the other series, pins adapted to be placed on said spots, and a ball suspended above said field and adapted to be swung from end to end thereof and to pass between two of the pins of one series when directed to strike a pin of the other series.

2. A foldable game apparatus comprising a flexible field having spots at each en thereof, pins adapted to be placed on said spots, rigid members for retaining said field in spread condition, a ball suspended above said field and adapted to be swung from end to end thereof, and a hall suspending frame comprising rigid members detachably supported at their lower ends by said field retaining members.

3. A foldable game apparatus comprising a flexible field having an arc-shaped series of spots at each end thereof. the spots of one series being arranged in staggered relation to those of the other series, rigid members for retaining said field in spread condition, pins adapted to be placed on said spots, a

ball adapted to be suspended above said invention, we

field and to pass between two pins of one series when directed to strikea pin of the other series, and a frame for suspending said ball and comprising rigid members adapted to be detachably--supported-"it th'eir lower ends by said field retaining members and at their upper ends by a central member or dome.

In testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

MILES G. NIXON. OBERLIN- SMITH.

Witnesses NORA F. DUEEIELD, HUGH L. REEVES.

Copies of this patent may beqi btained' for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

